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Sarracenia : Not enough pearlite, should I repot right now?

I was poking around at my Sarracenias today and some pots don't seem to have enough pearlite. Is it still safe to repot? Most of them have unopened pitchers popping up. Can I just leave them alone or will their roots rot? I am in Portland so it rains quite often but I do notice that the water pools in top of the potting material for the ones that don't have enough pearlite.

Thank you.
 
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I'm not sure if pure peat is harmful enough to Sarracenia that it is worth disturbing them to repot. If you have other materials along with peat such as sand or pumice, a lack of perlite shouldn't have much effect.
 
How do you have them planted? Plenty of bag gardens featuring Sarracenia use 100% peat.
 
....or LFS, sand...
 
Pure peat moss is ok. Bob Ziemer uses pure peat moss in his bogs due to a lack of local sources for sand. Sarracenia will grow in just about anything. One UK grower quipped that they would grow in crushed brick. My S. purpurea seem to prefer pure peat moss.

You may not have to water as much.
 
Yes, Sarracania don't seem to care what they are grown in. I grow mine in pure peat with no problems.
 
The main reason I use perlite is to "stretch" the peat moss. It is a non-renewable resource after all.
 
The main reason I use perlite is to "stretch" the peat moss. It is a non-renewable resource after all.

In the UK we tend to use Irish moss peat. When you consider that well in excess of 5 million tonnes of peat are burned in Ireland annually, in power stations and domestically, then a few pots of CPs are not going to make that much difference.
 
That's the spirit! To Hell with conservation. With all the lions and cheetahs that die each year from feline distemper what's a few more that I shoot for sport going to matter? With all the tons of crude oil that leaks into the sea from oil tankers and off-shore drilling sites what's a few quarts of motor oil I dump in the sewer going to matter? With all the CPs that get poached each year what's a few more that I take going to matter?

Makes sense to me.

So tell me, if the proposed bans on peat moss use in the UK ever happen would you start hoarding what peat moss you can get and thinking of ways to conserve or is just going to be "what's a few pots going to matter"?
 
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  • #10
Typical over reaction.
Perhaps the question should be when will the peat burning power stations stop burning peat.
 
  • #11
Good thing I've reached a point where I have enough live Sphagnum for my potting needs! ;-)
 
  • #12
It must take forever for someone to grow that much live sphagnum.
 
  • #13
That's the spirit! To Hell with conservation. With all the lions and cheetahs that die each year from feline distemper what's a few more that I shoot for sport going to matter? With all the tons of crude oil that leaks into the sea from oil tankers and off-shore drilling sites what's a few quarts of motor oil I dump in the sewer going to matter? With all the CPs that get poached each year what's a few more that I take going to matter?

Makes sense to me.

So tell me, if the proposed bans on peat moss use in the UK ever happen would you start hoarding what peat moss you can get and thinking of ways to conserve or is just going to be "what's a few pots going to matter"?

oh please..sanctimonious much?
unless you have never used any peat in your life, or have stopped using it completely, you have no right to be so judgmental..
I use one bale of peat every 2 years..I refuse to feel bad about it! ;)
Its just part of the hobby, we use SUCH a tiny amount of peat as CP hobbyists, we dont need to feel guilty about it.

Nanthawat, im curious why you think you dont have enough perlite?
IMO, the correct amount of perlite in a mix is.. zero percent perlite..
I cant stand the stuff, and see no good reason to use it at all.

Scot
 
  • #14
Pure peat is all I use on my sarracenia and I have no issues at all. I used peat and Cyprus one year but didn't like it although those that I potted in it are fine and still in the stuff.

Straight peat always sitting in a few inches of water is how I've been growing for years. :)

I'm with Scott. I have several sarracenia and I go though maybe one bale every 3-4 years. i recycle what i have and reuse it. More of this stuff is used as lawn amendments than used in CP growing.
 
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  • #16
I have been using nothing but pure peat for VFTs and Sarracenia for 20 years now.
with a top-dressing of LFS to keep the peat from spashing around in the rain.

I tried other mixes..
tried peat and sand..hated it..turned dense and heavy like cement.
I see no reason to use sand.

tried peat and perlite..hated it.
the perlite is ugly, floats to the top, and offers no benefit that I can see.
also, when I re-pot, I use the "old" peat in gardens, so I dont want the perlite there.

I settled on pure peat with LFS top dressing..its the mix I will use from now on!
works fine..
Only drawback: you need to repot every two years..the peat breaks down..its fine to add to gardens, but not good for the CP's after two years.
but you should probably repot every two years anyway, no matter what mix you use.


Sand is fine, if you want to use it..but its hardly necessary.
Perlite is fine, if you want to use it..but its hardly necessary.
Growing mixes are very personal and subjective..people like different things!
nothing wrong with that, as long as it works for the plants and keeps them healthy.
but if you hear you MUST use perlite, or you must NOT use pure peat..wrong.
someone is confusing opinion with fact. ;)
Scot
 
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  • #18
Thank you everyone for your answers and drama ;)
So I can ignore how online-based sellers have their soil mix? Usually I get my plants sent with a whole lot of perlite packed in.
 
  • #19
Just leave the plants as they are, they're growing.
 
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